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Ajax picked up a thoroughly deserved three points against RKC in Amsterdam on Saturday evening.

The hosts came close to opening the scoring in the early stages with Derk Boerrigter firing just over the bar after three minutes.

Christian Eriksen then came close 20 minutes later when a Siem de Jong pass put him one-on-one with Jeroen Zoet but the RKC shot stopper denied the young Denmark international.

Ajax eventually took the lead after 52 minutes when Eriksen teed the ball up for Lasse Schone to send into the top corner from 25 yards.

Substitute Jody Lukoki finished the game off soon after when Ryan Babel cut back for the 19-year-old whose header bounced off Zoet and into the bottom corner.

VVV

2

2

NEC

Ton Lokhoff’s VVV fought back from two goals down to pick up a well earned point against NEC.

It took less than two minutes for the visitors to take the lead when Michel Breuer headed home Geert Arend Roorda’s free-kick.

Both sides went on the attack but were left frustrated in front of goal until the second half when Navarone Foor whipped it across for Melvin Platje to head past Niclas Heimann to make it 2-0 to the Nijmegen club.

Uche Nwofor proved to be the home side’s saviour as his late double gifted them a point. The 20-year-old first headed Oguzhan Turk’s cross past Gabor Babos to make it 2-1 before charging down the left-wing and slotting past Babos to complete the comeback.

WILLEM II

2

6

TWENTE

Steve McClaren’s Twente thrashed Willem II who are still without a win in the Eredivisie this term.

Felipe Gutierrez opened the scoring in the first half, tapping into the net after receiving a Roberto Rosales pass.

The Tukkers doubled their lead after 40 minutes through Luc Castaignos as the former Inter forward pounced on Ruud van der Rijt’s poor backpass and walked it over the line after rounding David Meul.

Robbert Schilder made it 3-0 early in the second-half, taking Gutierrez’s pass in his stride and beating Meul with ease.

The home side pulled one back when Marc Hocher knocked it through the legs of Nikolay Mihaylov.

Schilder netted his second goal of the game when Dusan Tadic charged forward and squared to the 26-year-old who sent it into the top corner.

Willem Janssen made it 5-1 just a minute later when Tadic’s shot was saved and the midfielder made no mistake with the rebound.

The Tilburg club scored another consolation goal when Mitchell Pique’s cross found Jeroen Lumu unmarked at the back post and the 17-year-old diverted it in.

It got worse for Willem II, however, as Twente inflicted further humiliation on them with Philipp Haastrup putting the ball in his own net to make it 6-2 to the visitors.

HEERENVEEN

1

3

ADO DEN HAAG

Heerenveen are still searching for their first league win under Marco van Basten as they suffered a 3-1 defeat to 10-man ADO at home on Saturday.

Rydell Poepon fired the visitors into the lead after 20 minutes when Tjaronn Chery caught Sven Kums in possession and set up the forward who tucked it past Kristoffer Nordfeldt.

Four minutes later, Kevin Jansen charged down the right flank before cutting in and sending a shot curling towards goal. The 20-year-old’s effort bounced back off the post and Jens Toornstra was there to head it into the net.

Chery grabbed his fourth goal of the campaign on 28 minutes, driving towards goal from the right-wing before putting it past Nordfeldt.

Heerenveen pulled one back early in the second period when Alfred Finnbogason squared it to Jeffrey Gouweleeuw inside the box and the centre-back tapped it in.

ADO then went down to 10 men when Aaron Meijers received his second booking for tripping up Rajiv van La Parra.

The hosts pressed in search of a way back into the match but the visitors were able to hold on for victory.

FEYENOORD

2

0

ZWOLLE

Feyenoord collected a well earned three points with a 2-0 victory over Zwolle in De Kuip which moves them into the top four.

The Rotterdam club dominated from the start and should have taken the lead 22 minutes into the game as Jordy Clasie played a perfectly weighted through-ball to Ruben Schaken, sending the winger through on goal, but Danny Wintjens kept the 30-year-old out.

The hosts went ahead inside the first minute of the second half through a Joost Broerse own goal when Graziano Pelle’s shot bounced off the defender and evaded Wintjens.

Zwolle’s best chance came when Denni Avdic volleyed Furdjel Narsingh’s cross towards goal which was saved by Kostas Lamprou.

Ronald Koeman’s men had several chances to increase their lead, coming close through Schaken and Bruno Martins Indi but it was Lex Immers who killed the game off from the penalty spot as Gerard Aafjes felled Schaken inside the box.

HERACLES

2

1

NAC

Two late goals from Willie Overtoom and Everton gave Heracles the win as they came back from behind to beat NAC 2-1 on Sunday.

The visitors went ahead when Anouar Hadouir squared to Alex Schalk who fired in from the edge of the box.

Heracles fought hard to pull level but the Almelo club didn’t find the net until 81 minutes when Everton headed a cross onto Overtoom, who was lurking at the back post and the 26-year-old buried it past Jelle ten Rouwelaar.

Lerin Duarte came close to giving Peter Bosz’s side the lead late on but Ten Rouwelaar was able to tip it over the bar.

With the hosts in the ascendancy, they eventually did take the lead when Everton capitalised on some poor NAC defending and slotted into the net.

AZ

4

0

RODA JC

Jozy Altidore scored a hat-trick for AZ as the Alkmaar side ran out 4-0 winners against Roda.

Gertjan Verbeek’s men were by far the better side and opened the scoring after just 13 minutes when Altidore took Viktor Elm’s through-ball in his stride and curled it past Filip Kurto.

The American was involved in the second goal as his mis-hit shot fell perfectly for Erik Falkenburg to divert over the line.

Maarten Martens then chipped in towards Altidore who slipped in behind the defence and brought it down with his chest before hitting it into the net.

The 22-year-old capped off a fantastic performance for himself and his team with his third goal goal of the game and seventh of the season. He played a one-two inside the box with Adam Maher before sliding it across the goalkeeper and into the net after 65 minutes.

UTRECHT

1

0

PSV

Utrecht held onto a 1-0 lead against PSV, despite going down to nine men in the second half.

Utrecht came close to opening the scoring halfway through the second period when Mike van der Hoorn’s bullet header from close range was kept out by Przemyslaw Tyton.

The hosts went down to 10 men after 69 minutes when Anouar Kali was shown a second yellow card for a tackle on Kevin Strootman.

It was Dave Bulthuis who was credited with the only goal of the game just minutes after the dismissal. Tommy Oar crossed into the mix and Bulthuis got a slight touch on it to divert it past Tyton.

Defending the lead got much more difficult for Jan Wouters’s side when Alexander Gerndt was shown a straight red for a poor challenge on Mark van Bommel.

PSV pressed hard in search of an equaliser but the home side were able to hold on and collect the three points.

GRONINGEN

0

3

VITESSE

Goals from Mike Havenaar, Tomas Kalas and Wilfried Bony gave 10-man Vitesse a 3-0 win over Groningen on Sunday.

The opening stages were fairly even with neither side really troubling their opponents’ goalkeeper. The first clear goalscoring opportunity came after 20 minutes when Mitchell Schet went one-on-one with Piet Velthuizen and the Groningen Vitesse shot stopper kept the shot out.

Jan-Arie van der Heijden was dismissed on the half-hour mark when he brought down Genero Zeefuik on the edge of the area and referee Bas Nijhuis showed the former Ajax player a straight red card.

Groningen should have taken the lead on the stroke of half-time when Kees Kwakman cracked the bar from the 18 yard line.

Groningen were in the ascendancy following the red card but it was the visitors who took the lead when Havenaar headed in Patrick van Aanholt’s cross.

Vitesse doubled their lead 15 minutes later with Havenaar involved once again as he passed to Kalas who put it past Luciano Da Silva.

Bony then made it 3-0 in injury time when Van Aanholt raced down the left-wing with incredible speed before sending it into the box for the Ivorian to head over Da Silva.